


Not the Natural

by andrasteshaircurlers



Series: Mabari Bred - The Story Of Two Cousland Sisters [13]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Childhood, Fighting, Gen, Stream of Consciousness, Training, Young, learning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 12:50:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2068890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrasteshaircurlers/pseuds/andrasteshaircurlers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Torania was not always a good fighter. She had to work for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not the Natural

**Four** year old Torania Cousland, daughter of Bryce and Eleanor, breezes through the warm up exercises and stretches that the master at arms gives her. Oh yeah she has this fighting thing down! A few hours later when she is sprawled face down in the mud wooden sword in one hand, wooden shield in the other she is forced to admit grudgingly that things might be a little more complicated. But only a little! She is still the heir to Calenhad the great. The greatest warrior Ferelden has ever seen! Her mabari Chompers says so.

By **six** she has put away such childish notions. She is not heir to Calenhad she will excel him! There is only one problem. She still often finds herself in the mud during combat practice. She watches her brother with envious eyes. He is a natural the master at arms says. Torania just is not.

At **eight** she spends a good deal of her time hacking at training dummies and sparring. The master at arms admires her determination but she is just never going to be a great warrior. Not like her brother. Only her father believes in her. Keep trying pup!

At **twelve** she decides to stop playing by other’s rules. So she can’t seem to handle a shield. She can bend farther than anyone in the warm up exercises. So she is not as strong as the others. Perhaps speed can overcome that. Torania has fast reaction timing and fast reflexes. It comes from training with a mabari. She starts training herself. Learning her own brand of combat.

By **fourteen** she has trained her movement speed and reaction timing to be faster and faster. She uses a sword and a dagger now. She learned criminals do that and she thinks it will suit her well. She has trained with acrobats and even one man she thought was rogue before he disappeared one day. She challenges her brother to a mock duel. He beats her soundly.

By **sixteen** she has gone back to the master at arms. She has gotten him to agree to teach her what he can to work with her unique fighting style. She has built up some muscle though not as good as most warriors. She starts using a real blade and fights her first fight against some bandits while trapped with some villagers. When the bandits get between them and the castle Torania orchestrates the defense of the village. She becomes famous with the commoners of Highever. The fact that she is wounded in the fight seems to bother no one but Torania. Well and her family. But they are not upset for the same reason

By **eighteen** she has refined her technique. She has not been in any more battles. Her parents like to keep her close, but she has never forgotten how alive she felt fighting. She challenges her brother again. He beats her but not badly. She trains more and more. Refining and adapting. People say she is a good fighter. Gifted even. Torania still just wants to beat Fergus

At **nineteen** she beats him. Word comes about the darkspawn the next day. Torania wonders what it would be like to fight a darkspawn. She knows she will never find out.


End file.
